Cigarette holder



1959 P. J. SCHOENBERGER 2,868,212

CIGARETTE HOLDER Filed Sept. 20, 1952 INVENTOR Phil/)5 J. Schoenberyer ATTORNEY United States Patent CIGARETTE HOLDER Philip J. Schoenberger, West St. Paul, Minn.

Application September 20, 1952, Serial No. 310,593

1 Claim. 01. 131-174) This invention relates to an improvement in cigarette holders and deals particularly with a holder which will support a cigarette in the hand or on a table or other surface.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a cigarette holder which is designed to accommodate a cigarette and to catch the ashes as the cigarette burns. The device is of sufficient size to permit the necessary oxygen to support the combustion of the cigarette and at the same time is not excessively bulky. The device is so designed that it may be held in the hand or supported upon a table or other surface. If desired the cigarette may be removed intermittently for smoking, but under normal circumstances, it is designed to hold the cigarette and to remain afiixed thereto throughout the time the cigarette is being consumed.

A feature of the present invention resides in the ease with which the holder may be supported. The holder includes a standard having a relatively thin stem which terminates at its lower end with a laterally extending base. The base is arranged a sufiicient distance from the supported tray to accommodate two of the fingers therebetween. As a result the stem may be held between two fingers, the base extending inwardly of the fingers so that the tray may be firmly supported.

Various types of holders have been produced in the nature of the finger rings which encircle a finger and support a cigarette forsmoking purposes. The present device is of somewhat the same general nature, but the supporting stem extends between two adjacent fingers and the base underlies these fingers. As a result the holder may be easier to pick up and lay down and also may.

serve as a support for the cigarette on any fiat surface.

These and other objects and novel features of my invention will be more-clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claim.

In the drawings forming a part of my specifications:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the cigarette holder showing the general construction thereof.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the holder.

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the holder.

The device includes a hollow trough shaped receptacle or tray having spaced parallel side walls 11 and a closed end wall 12. The opposite end wall 13 is provided with a central notch which is encircled by a U- shaped through portion 14. This U-shaped portion 14 is provided with spaced parallel side Walls 15 and 16 and a curved connecting portion 17 at-its lower end. The side walls 16 and 15 are preferably slightly closer together than the diameter of a cigarette so that the cigarette may be held by friction and compressed slightly when in place.

As indicated in Figure l of the drawings, the cigarette 19 is positioned in the holder after it has been lit so that an end projects from the trough shaped portion 14. The

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2 body are spaced sufliciently to permit the entrance of necessary air within the body to support combustion. The bottom wall 20 of the tray shaped receptacle is also spaced below the cigarette to permit air to encircle the burning end of the cigarette.

A standard 21 extends downwardly from the tray shaped receptacle 10 to support the same. In the form of construction illustrated. this standard 21 tapers inwardly and downwardly when viewed from the side and is inwardly bowed along opposite edgesas indicated at M 22 when viewed from an end. The lower end of the opposite burning end of the cigarette extends close to the closed wall 12. The side walls 11 of the tray shaped standard 21 is connected to an elongated base 23 which is of substantially the same length as the receptacle 10. As viewed in Figure 2 of the drawings, the ends 24 of the base 23 are slightly wider than the receptacle 10 and are slightly off-set below the level of the remaining portion of the base so as to form a firm support which will rest firmly upon any relatively flat horizontal surface.

It Will be noted that the juncture between. the standard 21 and the bottom 20 of the receptacle 10 is rounded to provide a smooth rounded surface which may be engaged by the fingers. The bottom of the standard is connected to the base 23 along curved lines 26 which are designed to fit smoothly against the fingers.

In use, the holder may be picked up by spreading two of the fingers of one hand and engaging the stand ard 21 therebetween. The base 23 extends inwardly of the fingers while the tray shaped receptacle extends over the fingers. The cigarette may then be smoked while the hand is held in. a normal partially closed position. If it is desired to rest the cigarette upon a surface, this may be done by merely straightening out the fingers of the hand, lowering the base onto the surface, and spreading the fingers slightly to withdraw them from the device.

There are numerous advantages of the construction thus devised. The tray shaped body catches the ashes, thus eliminating the need for an ash tray, and the need for removing the ashes at intervals as the cigarette is smoked. The device also encloses the burning ashes, making it safe to smoke amid some combustable materials. Serious fires caused by leaving the burning cigrette where it may contact combustable materials may be prevented. My device makes the dangerous, but common, practice of smoking in bed less dangerous. Furthermore, my holder automatically extinguishes the cigarette when it is burned short, thus preventing the stub of the cigarette from falling from its support and burning or charring the surface on which it falls.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my cigarette holder, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claim without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

An ash catching cigarette smoking holder and finger engageable supporting standard including in combination a hollow receptacle having an open top, parallel side and end walls providing a receptacle having an interior dimension designed to hold and accommodate the crosssectional but not the full length of one whole cigarette at a time in slightly spaced relationship to said side walls and one end Wall, the opposite end wall being provided with a central notch, spaced parallel side walls integral with the wall having the notch and forming a U-shaped trough merging into the notch, said spaced parallel side walls being slightly closer together than the diameter of a cigarette so that a cigarette may be held in place by friction and compressed slightly therebetween with one 3 end suspended within the confines of the said walls and the other end may project from the one said notched end wall and said trough, a finger holding supporting standard extendingdownwardly from saidhollow receptaele, said fingeruholding support being adapted to be engagedbetween .thefingers, and anelongated base having end portions, said'baseMbeingeonnected to said finger holding standard and of substantially the samelengthas the said receptacle with the said end portions 'being slightly wider than the saidvreceptacle to underlie the 10 15.143336 Lafebre Feb. 12, 1946 4 Weglein Apr. 1, Poppert Mar. 21, Nagy June 9, Blesch Nov. 11, Smith July 7, Webster July 21,

FOREIGN PATENTS France Mar. 28, Germany Mar. 10, 

